Luxury...?

While in Pitangui I experienced something that was not fun, and made me really frustrated at the time...
On the last night it was raining really heavy (no surprise!), I had settled into my bed and really looking forward to sleeping - children are tiring! Well after being in bed 20 minutes...I could feel water....YUP! The roof above my bed (and only my bed) was leaking!!

My bedding was wet the floor soaking - so had to use my towel and buckets and just lie in wet bedding and listen to the dripping....by this point I could not wait to leave!!

But then I was having a shower after returning home and something just hit me like a smack in the face - and I am not saying any of these things so you feel bad, it is just my thought process - which I am hoping will make sense to you...

How lucky I am! My whole perspective of luxury suddenly changed....

* SO what my bed was wet, I had a bed, and a roof over my head.
* I thought it was weird that there were no toilet doors and just curtains - at least I had good sanitation, and an actual toilet to use
And so on, everything I had which I to me I saw as a basic essential, to so many actually is a luxury.

My whole perspective changed, I really thought about 'what is luxury?' I feel so overwhelmed with everything I have, that I have always said is my basic need....but really what do we need in life to live?!
I do NOT feel bad I have nice things, I have a laptop, ipod, clothes, money etc... but it made me appreciate them so much more. It made me think about others that do not have them, and how I could bless them even in small ways, which is not always about giving them 'things' but being with them, spending time with them....
Luxury items do not always make everything better, if at all...but yes having a good toilet, a bed, food is luxury to me in my head...as so many people don't have it. It has really challenged me to stop moaning about the food and always eating rice and beans - at least I have food...
Luxury to me is more than just having holidays, posh hotels, newest ipod etc...it is about good quality life, and living to the full, and having your basic needs met completely - physically, emotionally, etc...

What is luxury to you?

My final point - luxury is not a bad thing, its okay to want nice things that we probably don't need, but it's the perspective you take with that....you don't need luxury items to lead a good life or be a better person, or be accepted, or to be happy....
to me the focus of luxury is no longer about the physical things in my life - but about my life and what I am doing. I am living in luxury....living out a dream of working with street children, having good health, being able to learn, have fun, but in conditions some may see as basic - I love it :0)

[I hope this all makes sense - it is me just trying to process my thoughts, which are still everywhere!]